Warriors One-Shot: Paying the Price
by Stormcloud of Flameclan
Summary: Troutpaw and Heronpaw had been the best of friends since kit-hood. But, everything starts to change when they become warriors. When one of the two destroys the friendship, they must pay the price.


**This is my first one-shot. I hope that everyone enjoys it!**

Warriors One-Shot: Paying the Price

 _Troutpaw walked through the forest with his best friend, Heronpaw._ They had been best friends since they were little kits. The two were hunting for their final assessment before they could become warriors. Troutpaw was tired, so he was lucky that he and Heronpaw got a break after their hunting assessment.

"Troutpaw, why are you following me?" Heronpaw asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about what my warrior name might be. Sorry."

"Well, I'm going this way," Heronpaw pointed to the part of the river closest to camp with his tail. "How about you go that way?" and this time, Heronpaw pointed to opposite side of the river.

"Okay." And with that, Heronpaw trotted off to where he was going to try to catch a couple of fish.

Troutpaw walked over to where he wanted to hunt. He finally stopped at the part of the river where there was the most trout. Ironically, Troutpaw's favorite food was trout. He loved to catch them too, seeing them fly into the air always made him laugh.

Troutpaw ended up catching two trout, and his mentor had praised him on his catches, saying that they were fantastic. Troutpaw walked over to the fresh kill pile to get something to eat. He was finally on his break. He then spotted Heronpaw.

"Hey Heronpaw! Want to share one of the trout that I caught?"

"Ehh, sorry, but I want to sit with Juniperpaw right now." Heronpaw responded.

"Oh, okay." Troutpaw murmered to himself. _I wonder why he didn't want to sit with me. That's the first time that he has ever sat with anyone else._ The thought saddened him. He hoped that they were still best friends.

"Yes!" Troutpaw cheered. His mentor had just told him that he had passed his assessment. Heronpaw had passed too, as well as Juniperpaw, who Troutpaw found very annoying. The apprentices were going to camp so that they could receive their warrior names. Right when the apprentices entered camp, the rest of the clan had all ready gathered.

"Troutstream! Heronwing! Juniperleaf!" The clan chanted. _I love my new name._ Troutstream thought. _But what I don't like is the fact that Heronwing didn't even bother to come over and congratulate his best friend._ Instead, Heronwing went right over to Juniperleaf and touched noses with her.

(Time Skip: 6 moons)

In Troutstream's first six moons as a warrior, Heronwing had spent almost no time with him, and spent all of his free time with Juniperleaf. In fact, Heronwing had almost completely out-casted Troutstream, by rarely talking to Troutstream, and when Heronwing did talk to Troutstream, Heronwing was usually snappy and unhappy.

It saddened Troutstream to see their once bright friendship being turned into rubble because his friend decided that having a mate was more important that having a great friendship. _I really don't know what Heronwing sees in Juniperleaf. She's so mean and annoying._ He saw her nuzzle Heronwing. _At least to me she is!_

When Juniperleaf was picked for a patrol and Heronwing wasn't, Troutstream decided to talk to Heronwing to find out what was going on. Heronwing just hadn't been kind to him lately. Troutstream walked over to the warriors den and found Heronwing getting in his nest.

"Heronwing, why have you been so unkind to me lately? I thought we were best friends!"

Heronwing looked up at Troutstream from his nest. "Well, you thought wrong. We _were_ best friends, but now Juniperleaf is more important to me. We're mates now for Starclan's sake! Did you seriously think that you would be more important than my mate?"

Troutstream was taken aback by Heronwing's sudden hate for him. "But that doesn't make any sense, can't you have a mate and still be best friends with me?"

"Well, Juniperleaf doesn't think you are a good cat, so I agreed to stay away from you and to stop being friends with you."

Troutstream felt his mouth widen in shock. _He let his mate decide that he couldn't be friend's with me anymore?!_

"I, I just don't get it!"

Heronwing yawned, "Look Troutrstream, you just have to accept that we aren't friends anymore."

"You aren't the cat that you used to be Heronwing." Troutream narrowed his eyes at his former best friend.

"Please shut up! I'm trying to sleep! I don't care about you anymore so just go away!"

Troutstream ran out of camp all the way until the river where he caught his trout. _I can't believe that Heronwing is like this now. He let Juniperleaf corrupt his mind!_ Troutstream felt a sudden hate for both Heronwing and Juniperleaf. _I will get back at them, I promise that I will!_

(Time Skip: 4 moons)

"Juniperleaf has died!" Moans and wails of sadness filled the camp. Juniperleaf was a well-liked cat.

"No! Juniperleaf!" Heronwing's voice sounded above the rest. Juniperleaf had greencough for the past two moons, while at the same time, was expecting Heronwing's kits.

Right as Heronwing knew that he was going to be a father, he showed off to Troutstream and taunted him. Heronwing really hated Troutstream. By this point, that was a fact.

Even though he should be sad, Troutstream felt… happy. Juniperleaf was dead! Maybe he could rekindle his friendship with Heronwing. He felt good after he realized this, but then he noticed that Heronwing had stalked right over to him.

"I know what you're thinking Troutstream! It's not happening! We will never, ever be friends again, I hate you!" Fire blazed in Heronwing's eyes.

(Time Skip: 1 moon)

For the past moon, Troutstream was shown just about as much hate as possible from Heronwing, who seemed to think that Troutstream played a role in killing Juniperleaf. In his free time, Troutstream thought about how he could get revenge on Heronwing. Thinking about hurting a cat was unlike Troutstream, but he had to get back at Heronwing for out-casting him. As Troutstream was thinking about revenge, he bumped right into Heronwing.

"Watch where you're going you useless lump of fur! Get a life!" Heronwing yowled at Troutstream.

"Shut up! What do you have against me?!" Troutstream retorted.

"Me, you. The river right now." Heronwing growled at Troutstream.

Troutstream stalked out of camp to the river where Heronwing wanted to meet. _This is your chance! Make him pay!_ A voice from inside from Troutstream's head said. Troutstream made his choice. He was going to kill Hereonwing.

Right after he had made the biggest decision of his life, Heronwing showed up.

"So, who the heck do you are acting like you're all th…" Heronwing started, but couldn't finish as Troutstream jumped on top of him.

Troutstream dug his claws into Heronwing's pelt. "I'm absolutely sick on your anger towards me!"

Heronwing looked shock at the anger in Troutstream's eyes.

"Let me go!" He growled, "Or I'll kill you."

"Not if I kill you first Heronwing." Troutstream growled back, and he dug his claws into Heronwing's neck and blood started to pour out from Heronwing's wound. Heronwing looked scared out of his mind.

As the final light dimmed out of Heronwing's eyes, Troutstream growled, "You out-casted me. Now it's time for you to pay the price."

 **So this was my first one-shot! Tell me if you liked it, and if you want me eventually to do some more one-shots. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
